Patricia Barber kills live

Music Lane

It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.

Saw her at Sculler's in Boston this past Friday night and she and the entire band were outrageously good. This is my third time for her and third time was the charm, for sure.
I realize she's an acquired taste, but I encourage anyone who is a fan of jazz to see her. Her group has several things going for it that are too uncommon in today's groups:
1. They really listen to each other and play off each other. Constantly through the set, the drummer picks up the rhythm of one or another soloist, the bass player changes what he's playing to do the same. Neil Alger, the guitar player, and Patricia trade riffs a lot, and I have to believe they're improvised riffs. yes, they do follow the serial solos formula mostly, but they're not afraid to break out of straight comping on occasion.
2. She really integrates rock, funk and a touch of R&b (mostly through bassist Michael Arnopol) very well. Neil channels John McLaughlin on occasion, but much more controlled, and IMO, effectively than JM's long harangues. And he herars like a mother -- he's constantly picking up themes and notes from the other players
3. How about them lyrics? Is there anyone writing songs with the sophistication and insight that she brings these days?
Patricia Barber, IMO, is more in tune with contemporary jazz audiences than most. Go to a jazz club today and you're going to see middle-age, middle to upper middle class people, and yes, most of them are white. I think she understands that portion of that demographic who still wants to be challenged in some way, who grew up on rock but loves the complexity of jazz, the different harmonies and rhythms. Her playing is infused with tastes of Nat Cole, Powell and Tyner and Peterson, and who knows who else, so she doesn't ignore the tradition. She also understands the whole Cole Porter thing, but isn't stuck on doing museum pieces. Many of today's singers do standards without adding anything that Ella or Sarah or someone hadn't done by 1955 anyway.
Unlike many other popular good and popular chanteuses who do jazz to one degree or another, whether it's Diana Krall or Madeline Peyroux, Nora Jones or Sonia Kitchell, she's not afraid to take the hard parts of jazz (dischord, violent syncopation, extended solos) and serve them up hot and tasty. The only contemporary vocal artist I can think of with her range and depth is Cassandra Wilson, whom I love. But let's give PB her props: the girl writes and plays a mean keyboard, too.
Anyway, I don't know if it was just the night or the material, but the whole group was on fire. Not since Charles Lloyd was here with Abercrombie and Higgins a few years ago have I heard so much interplay. My wife heard a couple of the cuts from Mythologies that she played, and says they're much more limited on record, so there definitely is something they do live. Like many of the local clubs, you can chat with the musicians afterward, and I mentioned to Arnopol that this was far and away the best of the three sets I had seen them do. His only response, aside from "thanks," was that they musicians really liked the acoustics at Scullers, so maybe they could just dial each other in better.
Go see Patricia Barber!
P.S. Is anyone else annoyed by the fact that virtually everyone of her albums comes out in high res or vinyl many months after the original? At this point, I don't want to buy Mythologies because I only need one copy of it and would rather buy the best format.

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Topic - Patricia Barber kills live - mschlack 09:17:13 09/24/06 (4)

the CDs sound so good - hifitommy 20:09:30 09/25/06 (0)

Re: Patricia Barber kills live - D Harvey 19:56:43 09/24/06 (0)

Re: Patricia Barber kills live - odd 19:12:02 09/24/06 (0)

Re: Patricia Barber kills live - KellyG 13:52:57 09/24/06 (0)

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